Single-phase gas or vapor electric device.



P. H. THOMAS.

SINGLE PHASE GAS 0R VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1903. K

951,085. Patented Mar. 1,1910. 1

2 3 Fig.2

by (4M lzyelzzar' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. v \l P. H. THOMAS.

SINGLE PHASE GAS OR VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE.

Fig.5

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1903..

' Patented Mar. 1, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

menial UNITED STATES Pgamyom a rnacr Erno'ms, orrrrrsrune, PEnnsY-LvAurmZAssreNon 'ro coorna newline ELECTRIC GOMPANY, A conrona'rron 6r ne roan.

E- HA E G 91 POR EGTRI DE ICE- Original application filed- June 13, 1908, Serial No. 161,282. Divided and this applieation'n led August 11, 1903. Serial 168,991.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I,,P EBoY THOMAS, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburg, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylavnia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Single-Phase. Gras or'Yapor Electric Devices, of which therfollow ng 1s a specification,

In gas or vapor electric lamps of the type shown and described in certain United States patents issued to Mr. Peter Cooper Hewitt on the 17th day of September, 1901, and in similar vapor apparatus, whether used for lighting purposes ornot, the pheg nomenon appears at the negative velectrode of. a reluctance to startingwhich has now' been fully set forth in various patents and publications. Owing to the presence of this phenomenon, means are required for break ing down the initial reluctance at the nega-I tiveelectrode, and such means may be suplied by a current of high potential derived rom any source whatsoever and applied.

either to the terminals of the vapor device or to what" is generally called a starting band' arranged in proxiinityto the negative electrode' Wh n app r us of h ha c er i operated ondirect current cir c iits;.it has been customary to apply to the terminals of the apparatus a momentary. current of higher potential than that upon which the apparatus 'is designed to be'operate'd. In employing 'alternatingcurrents, it, is usual to apply a higher potential alternating .current derived from thesupp'ly cireuit'to the starting band, which starting band is also preferably present in most-types 'ofvapor apparatus. When the high potential current is applied to thestarting band, I have ,ter n eunder the same orvdifierent -'conditions of operation, may be, more Rad x tarted by so 1 found that the relative phase between the 'high tension currentjthus applied and the electro-motive-force supplied to; the termi= nals may have an important influence-:on the starting of the lamp'or other apparatus.

practice, I have found that certainlamps will start satisfactorily; with no base, dife On the other hand, oter lamps giving a'l a a :lag-to he litensloa c r en aand I have found a. mo .eratelead o be v ry iavorab e in opera i g certain si e of. ommercial lamps," When the de scribed reluc an e. to. starting has .an e lis en I broken down, current may'continue to flow through the apparatus provided the applied maintained uniformly. currents of varying-value or'of alternating Thus in operating apparatusotthis class by means of alternating currents or currents which vary considerably in value, provision values when the currentjis otuniform' dirwhen the direction of flow is reversed;

has to be made for reinforcing the lower specification of Letters Patent,- Patented Mar. 1, 191-0,

electro-motive-iorce is. sufiiciently hi h and also provided that the direction of w be "When, however,

rection and torrepeatedl'y starting the aping a choke coilin-series withthe apparatus tus, various organizations-have been? protives. For example, the amount of energy lessene v tive alternations through "the apparatus by negative alternations tend to pass through the lamp in the same direction.' Meanwh1le,

energy -enough to supply current for: the 'sliort-pcri d"be tween alternations s constantly calledinto play:- 1

prise am ng other fea ur s; m s f r st ng gas o ap r apparatus th ugh the v 1'.

application at an initial curre t at high poten ial, and als means for s a ingv energy 'paratus when the direction of the current.

changes. It has 'beenproposed-to provide means for: the purposes indicated by placposed for preventing the negative alte'rnas time from undoing the work'ofthe pos1- J required from: the choke 'coilis, considerably if a path beiprovidedfforthe nega-' which wil' lstore energy while the cur-- "general arrangement of circuitsfand 'apparameansiof a second positive electrode. With such an organization, both the posit ve and the function otthe choke coil iIl delivering.

' ZIhe organizati n ab v ndica ed-c eriv d, rom the supply cirguit, say -achckaeoil, the ranctio l t'whichis t9 amm- .sion electro-motive-force applie operation of the apparatus after it has .once

may be removed in a number of ways, as by including resistance or inductance 1n the 011- tain the current value above a certain minimum at all times, so that the negative electrode reluctance may not reestablish itself.

It might be supposed that in operating the vapor apparatus upon a single phase alter? nating current,'the capacity of the choke coil might have to be considerable, but I have found that in order to maintain the been started, the choke coil need not be of excessive size. It is desirable, however, that an extra potential should be supplied to enable the choke coil in the first alternation after starting to absorb a sufiicient amount of energy so that it may discharge. the energy necessary to maintain the lamp over the first zero point, without fallingsbelow the minimum current. I

It is the object of the resent invention to provide means for. supp yin this extra ini tial potential, as will present y appear, it being understood that the additional Volta e thus drawn from the source will generaly be removed after the startinv of the apparatus. This makes it possible to obtain economical conditions during operation, and provides that the extra potential called into use at the starting of the apparatus shall constitute only a momentary demand upon the system.

In order to facilitate the application of the additional voltage, I may employ a. third positive'electrode or terminal, as a starting electrode electrically independent of the main electrode, although it is not an ess'eni tial feature of the invention, and a main electrode may be utilized for the purpose'ifdesired. r

The supplementary electro motive force cuit through which the additional electromotive-force is supplied; by providing a transformer with considerable magnetic leakage between the primary and the secondary, the secondary being used to supply the additional electro-motive-force; or by mechanically opening or denergizing the circuit through which the extra potential is supplied.v The latter method 1s the one which is generally preferred. v

In'the accompanying drawings I have illustrated several ways in which the extra potential may be obtained. One-10f these organizations embodies an addit 'ontb the windin of a transformer secondary which is use to obtain rectified alternations within the apparatus. Another organization embodies a separate transformer. Not only may the supplementary or additional electro-motive-force, orz what is called the extra potential, be supplied by the means'just described, but thglugh ten- -a's illustrated in Figure 4 to the'normal lamp ter canoes minals or the high electifo-motive-force applied to the starting band may be obtained from a sephave found it convenlent to use a magnetism generated by the current.

As a modification of the above apparatus, it is possible to avoid the use of the supple mental 'electrodeby applying to one or both of the positive electrodes a supplementary electro-motive-fo'rce and transferring the posltive electrode or electrodes to the nor the interruption of the circuit.

The high potential at 86 mal running point after starting, without:

the starting band may be obtained, if desired, through a snap or quick-break switch just as in a direct current lamp. In this case it is sometimes necessary to close and open the switch anumber of times in order to insure that the mechanical break should occur at a favorable portion of thewave for producing a high potential impulse.

I have illustrated my invention in the acy companying drawings, inwhich Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, arediagrammatic illustrations of my invention as applied to a gas or vapor electric lamp.

In the drawings, 1 is the container of a f lamp of the character described above, the same containing, in this instance, a-negative electrode,.5,. ofimercury and positivefelec trodes, 2 and 3, which ing electrode which may also be of iron Thelamp is provided with a starting band, 6, located in proximity to the negative electrode 5 and variously connected 'in the different ,figures of the drawings. .circuit for the mp in Fig. 1 is illustrated by the conductors, 1 3, 13, between which is arranged the primary, 11, of a transformer whose secondary is shown at 12. One terminal of the secondary is connected to the" starting band 6 and the other is connected by aw1re,-8, through a choke coil, 7, to the negative electrode 5.

maybe of iron. In ljlgs. 1, 2 and 3, I show a supplemental posi- V t veelectrode, 4, adapted-to serve-as a start- The conductors 13 The supply are joined to the windings, 21, ofan autotransformer which has a supplemental winding, 14,. as shown. The winding 21 is connected at its opposite terminals by means of wires, 9 and 10, to the positive electrodes 2 and 3, while the winding 14 is joined by a wire, 22, to the supplemental starting electerminals of thefwinding 21,'tli e."vvire 8 is trode 4. .At the neutral point between the 1 joined to the said winding. The conductors 13, 13 are assumed to be connected with. a source of single-phase alternating current, and when the circuit :of thesaid source is closed, throwing potential. on the primary so, tary. positive electrode 4 winding, 11, the secondary winding receives a high voltage, which is impressed upon the electrode 5 and the starting band 6 in" sucha. way as to produce a critical 5 strain at the surface of the negative electrode; breaking down its resistance and allowing the positive potential on one of the electrodes 2, 31or'4 t0 start the lamp into operation- The operation of the lamp is n then as follows; Assuming. for example,-

that the electrode 2 (neglectihgthe electrode 4 for the moment) has a positive potential with regard to the negative electrode at the time of the application of the critical strain, current flows from 2t0 5', reaching voltage upon the positive electrode 2 falls tozero, the energy previously stored in the choke coil contlnues the flow of. current in the original direction (through the 0011.

y 1 until the potential upon the electrode 3 becomes positive in its turn, whereupon electrode 3 will "itself support the current through the lamp and, as its value risesin. the second alternation, will increase the cur-.

rent through the choke coil 7 .to the maximum at the time at which it is returning toward zero. .Asbeforewhen the voltage of the electrode 3 becomes too small to support the current through the choke 0011?, this coil supplies energy keeping the current flowing, though at a'decreasmg Intensity,

until electrode 2 after having had a negative value during. the second alternation again becomes positive in'the third alterna- 'tion, when it is utilized to again support the 40 current through the lamp and the choke coil 7 and so on, as long as the lamp-oper- -at es. The. function ofthe supplementary winding 14 and the supplementary positive --eleotrode etis to supply an. additional electi-o motive 'force during the alternation within which thecritical or starting strain is applied: It is evident that" during this first alternation, the current. must reach its; maximum value after starting from zero,

whereas, when once the lam-pis operating normally, this, maximum current must be reached in one alternation, starting, not

from-.zero, but from the minimum value .reached during the operatlon winch must at least be the minimum operating current of the lamp? ,1 Once, the negative elec tr0de resistance of the, lamp is broken down sufli- 'ciently to allow an operating 'currentto pass, the extra voltage upon ,thesupplemen v is no longer required and in fact will cause a waste of I energy audit disturbanceof the operation -"of the lamp and should be removed-from:

further operation.\ This disturbance of the excess of current tending to flow from the which may, as in Fig. l, conveniently be placed in the .circuit of the winding "14. The action of the inductance device -or resistance 23 is such as to prevent an excessive flow of current after the apparatus has started into, operation, at the sametime allowing the full voltage of the source to assist in the overcoming of the negative electrode resistance slnce unless .thecurrent flow actually increases no voltage will be absorbed upon the. inductance device or resistance 23. he impedance 23 is so pro-- portionedas to allow only a very small current to flow when the apparatus isin operation. WVhen the apparatus is .to be started, however, sinceno current flows through it, -the' full potential of the supplementary transformer winding is im )ressed between the positive starting electrode and the negative main electrode in the apparatus It is this tension strain backed by the power of the main positives to deliver current which breaks down the electrode resistance. Enou gh current must, of course, be allowed .to' flow through this impedance 23 when the apparatus is in operation to establish an ,initial. current in the choke coil 7.

Referring to F '2, the transformer primary i1 is connected between one terminal of the coil 14: and the conductor 8. In the circuit of the primary is included the .lnovable element of-a switch, 15, which constitutes an armature for the choke coil 7. The organization illustrated in Fig. 2 is in other respect-s similar to that shown in Fig. 1," except that the switch 15 is utilized for removing the source ot'extra-poten'tial fromthe system as soon as the operation begins. It is clear that when the supplycircuit is closed and ,current is caused to traversethe primary '11, the'secondary 1 2"will beenergiyed, as before, and the choke coil'wil-l also 'receive current; In response to'the described. action, the movable element of the switch 15 will be withdrawn from contact with the stationary element thereof and the winding plemental electrode 4;. andto the electrode The other connections are shown clearly upon thedrawing. In this arrange-ment"of circuits I. mayinclude the inductance or resistance 23. in the circuit of the" primary 2e, its functions being the same as'already described 111 connectionwit-h Fig. 1.

e5 operation of the lamp would result from the:

. listening to Fig. 4, a will be H t {,;g-

the supplemental electroded is here omitted, and that the conductors 9 and 10:.are joined to the windings of the auto-transformer 21 through resistances18, 18, provided with movable "arms, 19, 19. In this figure the starting band is connected by awire 26 with the conductor 9, while a shunt circuit 27 containing a quick-break switch 16 and av resistance 17 (which'may be in the form of an inductance device or reactance coil) is connected between the lead of the electrode 5 and the conductor 9. In this figure the switch arm 19 .at the left is represented at starting and the choke coil 7,a high potential impulse is created at the starting band and. this is reinforced by the energy developed in the windings l4, 14;. The lamp having beenonce started into operation in this way, the switches 19 are moved from the'starting positionto the operating position (the latwindings, 14l, 14 disused.

ter being illustrated, as already explained,

by the switch at the-right hand side of Fig.-

4:) and the operation continues with the ,In the figures alr adydescribed, there are impressed between t e neutral point and the two main positives, respectively, two alterto the negative electrode and utilizing the point and one positive. In this fi ating electno-motive-forces exactly opposite in period. These are obtained by connect iiig the neutral point of the supply circuit supply 'mains as the two ositives. In Fig. 5 the same-result is attained ina slightly different manner which allows the full line voltageto be impressed between the neutral re, as before,-we have' two exactly opposite electro-. motive'l forces impressed between the negative electrode and the two main positive-electrodes-of the lamp. One ofthese is the supply electrootive-force itself, the other is a similar e ectro-motive-force obtained by means-of a transformer whichallowsits direction to be reversed. It is evidently possible to utilize another winding, as 14:, upon the same core as the transformer 2O for suplplying the supplementary voltage for startl g the lamp.

The. arran ement illustrated'in Fig. 6 is broadly siml ar tothaa shown 1, the jmain difference being that as a substi- -tute'for'the inductance or resistance 23,1 make use of a transformer 30, having c on o'sition, while the corresponding arm at t e right is represented as having. been moved from the starting position to.

- strumentalitiesr than the starting band, and

across siderable magnetic leakage between the primary and secondary windings 31 and 32. As soon as the lamp is started in the man ner already described in connection with Fig. 1, the transformer 30 Will come into play to check'the flow of current through the conductor 22, thus practicallydeenergizing that part of the circuit. In this figure I also show means for creating a phase difference between the curre t applied to thestarting band 6 andtha pplied to the supplementary starting electrode 4. In practice, I'find it advantageous to'give to the current applied to the starting band a slight lead or lag, depending upon thefcir- ,go cuit conditions. This can be accomplished as in Fig. 1, by means of a spark-gap such as is shown-at 35 or by such means'as are, illustrated in Fig. 6,where the primary 37 of a transformer, 36, is coupled upbetwecn the supply wires 13, 13' while the secondary, '38, is connected between one of the,con ductors 13 and the starting band 6. In shunt to the primary I may arrange a re sistance, .39, and in series therewith an inso ductance device, 40, the same being so proportioned as to. give the necessary lead or lag to thesecondary current. The arrangement shown is so devised as to give a lag to the secondary current; whereas by reversin the" position of the resistance 39 and the in uctance 40, a lead would be given to the current. The form of vapor device illustrated in this ure is that of anon verter, being different in this respect from the device illustrated in the other figures, insomuch as all of the electrodes including the starting electrode 4, are closely adjacent to the negative vapor-emitting electrode, so' that the. intervening, vapor column is very short. 1

' It is known that the critical strain may be appliedto the apparatus through other inif desired any means equivalent to the starting'band may be substituted therefor.

In another application filed by me June 13, 1903, Serial Number 161,282, of which this application is a division claims are made upon the method described herein.

In a, divisional application, Serial" Number 540,738, filed Jan. 29, 1910, claims are made upon certain features of the invention described herein.

I claim as my invention 1. In a system of electrical distribution, ,aagas or-vapor electric apparatus, means for creating within the same a crltlcaL strain, means for storing electrical energy in the system, means for discharging a portion of the said energy through the apparatus, and means for creating a momentary initial excessof potential above the normal in the Y apparatus U v 2. In a system of electrical distribution, 130

a gas or vapor electric apparatus, means for creating wlthin. the same a critical strain, means for storing electrical energy in the system, means for discharging a portion of t e said energy through 'the apparatus, means for creating a momentary initial excess of potential above the normal in the apparatus, and means forwithdrawing the source of increased potential.

3. In a system of electrical distribution,

a gas or vapor electric apparatus provided with a startmg band, two or more positive electrodes, and a negative electrode, a source of single phase alternating. current connected with the said apparatus, a choke coil interposed at a suitable point in the system, a

starting device capable of creating'a critical strain ,within the apparatus, and means for applying to the apparatus a momentary initial excess of potential.

4. In a system of, electrical distribution, a gas or vapor electric apparatus provided with a starting band, twoor more positive electrodes and a negative electrode, a source of single phase alternating current connected with the said apparatus, a choke. coil interposed at a suitable point in the system, a

' starting device capable ofv creating a critical strain within the apparatus, and means for applying to the apparatus a momentary initial excess of potential, the current pro-' duced by the-extra-potential being adapted to pass through the choke coil;

5. In a system of electrical distribution, a gas or vapor electric apparatus, provided with a starting band, two or more positive electrodes and a common negative electrode, in combination with a source of single phase alternating current connected with said. ap-

paratus,. a choke coil interposed at a suitable point in the system, and means for including a sparkgap for impressingupon the starting band a critical strain within 'the apparatus, and means for applying to the apparatus a momentary initial excess of potential.

6. In a system of electrical distribution, a gas or vapor electric apparatus, provided with a starting band, two or more positive electrodes, and a common negative electrode, in combination with a source of single phase alternating current connected with said apparatus, a choke coil interposed at a suitable 'point'in the system, and means for including a spark-gap for impressing upon the starting band a critical strain within the apparatus, and means for applying to the apparatus a momentary initial excess of potential, the current produced by the extra potential" being adapted to pass through the choke coil.

the combination with a mercury vapor apparatus comprising a completely exhausted container, a vaporizable cathode and suitable anodes therein, and am alternating source, of means for supplying suitable albetween said transformer and said supply,

together with means "for maintaining the cathode in operative condition.

8., In a, system of electrical distribution, the combination with a mercury vapor apparatus comprising a completely exhausted container, a vaporizable cathode and a plurality of anodes therein, and an alternating 7. In a system of electrical distribution,-

ternating current to saiddevice, such means 1 ncluding a transformer and an lmped'ance supply,-of connections from the cathode to an intermediate point of said supply, connections from terminals of the supplyto'the anodes and adjustable voltage absorbing means in saidlast named connections.

- 9 In a vaporconductor, the combinat on of an exhausted envelop, a,vapor-em1tt1ng main electrode, a plurality of non-vaporizrent flow between the vaporizable electrode .to the supply.

Signed at New York, in the county of 85 able electrodes, and means for starting cui'-. I

New York, and State of New York, this A. D. 1903. r PERCY H. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

.WM. ,CAPE'L, Gnonen H. STOCKBRIDGE.

529th day of July 

